Mustang Report
A Grand Finale
As senior point guard Annika Shah scored her 1,000th point, she cemented her legacy as one of the program’s most resilient leaders.
By Samantha Roach and Robyn Kontra Tanner
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Point guard Annika Shah. Photo courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics.
At 5 feet, 3 inches tall, Annika Shah might not be the hard-driving point guard you expect to see in the Cal Poly women’s basketball record books among the all-time leading scorers. But during a road game versus CSU Long Beach on January 25, she notched her 1,000th point as a Mustang, becoming the 16th player in program history to reach the milestone.
“I wasn’t necessarily counting down the points that I needed to hit 1,000 or anything because I’m just focused on the game,” said Shah, recalling the buzzer-beating shot at the end of the first quarter. “But I did know the moment I hit it because I looked at my family and they gave me the signal that I did it.”
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Shah’s performance contributed to a 78-71 victory that night, one she savored because of who was in the stands.
“To be able to do it in front of my family was a very special moment just because they’ve sacrificed so much for me.”
Shah’s career has been defined by a spirit of resilience. During her junior year of high school, she tore her ACL. After a long road toward recovery, the next season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her scholarship offer from Cal Poly ignited the fuse that propelled Shah to defy expectations and make the most of the next four years.
“I want to be remembered as someone who was a great teammate. There are all these numbers and statistics, but the impact that I had on my teammates is what is important to me.”
“I was able to come back stronger with a different mindset that I wanted to give my all to Cal Poly because they took a chance on me,” explained Shah.
Even through a coaching change and defending her starting spot at point guard as the team rebuilt itself, Shah remained composed. She built a strong relationship with head coach Shanele Stires and emerged as a vocal leader on and off the court. Now that she has hit this milestone point total, Shah shares it with her team.
Shah leads an offensive drive against UC Irvine in Mott Gym. Photo courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics.
“It’s never a single player that accomplishes 1,000 points,” she said, expressing gratitude to her coaches and teammates. “There are 100,000 other pieces that contributed to me getting there.”
After graduating with her degree in business administration and a concentration in marketing management this spring, she hopes to build a professional basketball career overseas. After she leaves the court for good, Shah says she’s confident she’ll be ready for a marketing career given how well her major has prepared her.
While the record books will remember Shah for scoring points, she hopes her fellow Mustangs have a different perspective.
“I want to be remembered as someone who was a great teammate,” she said. “There are all these numbers and statistics, but the impact that I had on my teammates is what is important to me.”
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